Martin reigns in Spain

Alberto Martin clinches title after strong start

Spain's Alberto Martin won the $500,000 Mallorca Open with a 6-3 3-6 6-2 victory over Argentine Guillermo Coria.

The hard-hitting Martin, who beat local favourite Carlos Moya in the semi-finals, started off strongly and broke the Argentine's serve in the second game.

The next six games went with serve to leave Martin with 5-3 lead. He then served out the ninth game to love to take the first set in 36 minutes.

Martin lost just four points on his serve in the first set and looked to have the measure of the young Argentine who had beaten him in three close sets in the quarter-final of the Monte Carlo Masters.

But the 19-year-old settled in the second set and went 40-15 up in the sixth game on the Martin serve.

Focused

Martin double faulted allowing Coria to take a 4-2 lead and with the remaining games going with serve the Argentine took the second set 6-3.

The 22-year-old Spaniard continued to run hard across the court and looked in danger of tiring, but he recovered the rhythm on his serve and looked more focused than his opponent in the final set.

Coria, continually pressured on his serve, saved a break point in the sixth game of the third set, but then double-faulted to go 4-2 down.

Martin, playing his first final of the season, used his powerful backhand to the full and sprinted across the clay surface to return everything Coria could throw at him.

He continued to hold his serve with ease and then broke the Argentine's serve once again to win the final set 6-2 and take his third career title, having won tournaments in Casablanca and Bucharest in 1999.